Taking a mobile weather radar vehicle, whose lightning protection system was checked and measured by the Beijing Lightning Devices Security Test Center, as an example, the protection scope of the lightning rod is calculated and the selection methods of the optimal height of the lightning rod and the best layout place are studied, by using the rollingsphere method and the relationship formula between the probability of lightning strokes and the height of the lightning rod. Based on the characteristics of meteorological radar waves, the material selection requirements of lightning rods are analyzed. From the characteristics of lightning rods and the lightning protection network, the reasons for applying lightning rods preferentially are discussed. According to the moving characteristics of mobile radar vehicles, the suggestions and measures about the design of the lightning rods are given.